LONDON -- The ?? ?? ???countdown until the official opening of the Rio 2016 Olympics is officially on. First-time Olympians are gearing up for the most exciting and career-defining games of their lives so far.
SEE ALSO: Female Olympians pose naked in tribute to the bodies that helped them achieve their goalsBut, the Olympic journey didn't begin here for most Olympians. Far from it. Indeed, British Sailing Team member Nicola Groves began her Olympic journey four years ago while many of us were still reeling after the excitement of the London 2012 Olympics.
And, on Aug. 10 -- in a mere matter of days -- Groves will be competing in her first Olympics in the Nacra 17 Multihull preliminaries.
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"I started training for Rio just after the Olympics in 2012, so it's been four years of full-time sailing, but, really, I've been preparing for this for over 15 years -- I first started sailing when I was 10 years old," 27-year-old Groves told Mashable.
Nicola Groves poses for a portrait during the Team GB Kitting Out ahead of Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images An Olympian's daily routine
The past four years for Groves have been dedicated to full-time training in various locations. In 2013, Groves and her sailing partner Ben Saxton began training in Rio de Janeiro; a venue which has proved particularly challenging, says Groves.
"It's just a very tricky venue with really difficult tide and wind patterns so we needed as much practise as possible in venue," Groves told Mashable.
Like most Olympians, Groves' daily routine involves hitting the gym first thing in the morning.
"Normally, I do a weights session as the boat I sail is very physical for the crew -- which is my job -- and the loads in the sails are extremely heavy," Groves continued.
Groves takes about an hour to recover from the gym session before heading to the boat park where she and Saxton work on their boat to keep it in good condition to ensure it doesn't get damaged when they're training or racing.
"Then we'll get out on the water and sail for two to five hours, practising our speed technique, boat handling and racing with other boats," says Groves.
Nicola Groves and Ben Saxton from the British Sailing Team sail their Nacra 17 during day six of the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup on Jan. 31, 2015, in Miami. Credit: Richard Langdon/ Getty Images The Olympics and technology
Groves and her teammate use a variety of technology to monitor her and Saxton's performance when training -- from filming their sailing manoeuvres, photographing their rig setup to more complex aspects of training, all of which -- Groves says -- are top secret. Groves also wears a Garmin wearable heart rate monitor when she's training, which allows her to keep track of her fitness levels and keep her training tailored to her exact needs.
Nicola Groves and Ben Saxton from the British Sailing Team sail their Nacra 17 during the Princess Sofia Regatta on April 3, 2015, in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Credit: Richard Langdon/Getty Images When it comes to getting herself in the mood for training, Groves relies on a few gym-goer staples. "My most used apps when I'm training are actually things like Spotify and Yoga Studio; Spotify to get me in the zone at a competition or power me through a gym session and Yoga Studio to help me relax and recover from a long day on the water," says Groves.
But, while the use of tech is fine during training, the Olympic rules are strict on the use of technology when competing, according to Groves.
"We have GPS trackers on our boats while racing so that people on the shore can follow the action but, apart from that it's all down to good old fashioned brain power," Groves continued.
Lifestyle changes
Training for the Olympics has resulted in some considerable lifestyle changes for Groves, changes which are vital for the boat's speed.
"With sailing, you need to counterbalance the power in the sails with your own body weight to make the boat go faster, so I've been on weight gain for a while now to help us get as much speed out of the boat as possible -- especially when it's windy," Groves told Mashable.
Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves from the British Sailing Team sail their Nacra 17 during the ISAF Sailing World Cup on April 24, 2015, in Hyeres, France. Credit: Richard Langdon/Getty Images "The loads on the ropes in the Nacra are really high so it pays to be strong and, because it's a mixed boy/girl team, I'm up against male-only crews in some of the other boats so I've got to put in that little bit extra in the gym to stay ahead," Groves says.
Training for the Olympics isn't just taxing on the body, however. Constant training results in prolonged periods of time spent away from home, and away from friends and family.
Team GB's Sailing Team pose ahead of Rio 2016: (L-R) Ben Saxton and Nicola Groves (Nacra 17) Nick Dempsey (RS:X Men) Charlotte Dobson & Sophie Ainsworth (49erFX). Credit: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images A true Brit, Groves takes a kettle and tea bags with her wherever she and her sailing partner go. In fact, tea is so important to Groves, it's the very first thing she packs."My sailing partner [Ben Saxton] and coach are amazing to live and work with, and the rest of the GB team are pretty cool too so that makes being away a lot easier," says Groves.
Groves FaceTimes her friends and family as much as possible to keep in regular contact while she's away from the UK.
Though she's been preparing for the Olympics for the past four years, Groves is "unbelievably excited" for her first Olympics. "I've worked very hard to get here. I want to enjoy every minute but, when we get out on the water, we've just got to do what we've done for the last four years -- sail as fast as we can," Groves says.